Importance of Modern
Instrumentation and Automatic
Control in Treating Industrial Wastes
FRANK L. MASCITTI
Industry Engineer
Water Works and Sewage Department Industrial Division
Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Were it possible to examine the many continuous processing industries in use today in the same manner as a jeweler inspects a many-
faceted stone, it would be noted that there are numerous factors which
have contributed to their phenomenal expansion. One of the most
significant factors is the advancement made in the field of instrumentation and automatic controls as applied to key processes. The treatment
of industrial wastes, representing a national problem which is being
attacked by more and more companies dependent upon continuous
processing, presents essentially the identical operating problems as continuous processing itself, namely, efficient economic operation, a rigid
enforcement of safety regulations, and over-all process characteristics.
In step with the progressive efforts put forth by many companies
with the expenditure of appreciable sums of money and the construction
of modern treatment installations, growing recognition is being given
to the importance of modern instrumentation and automatic control
components. This paper highlights the benefits derived from the proper
application of modern instrumentation to waste treatment.
Instrumentation may be considered that subject which treats with
the application, and installation of industrial instruments to a process.
Instruments is a term used broadly to encompass devices designed for
converting measurements of physical or chemical conditions into recording and/or controlling end results. With reference to the actual
processes or methods designed for the treating of industrial wastes
including the discharge of municipal sewerage systems, streams or
ground waters, one basic and predominant object is dealt with when
treating the nuisances present in polluted waters. Instrumentation fulfills a significant function in all methods of waste disposal.
Considering first the major reasons for the measurement of the variables involved in industrial waste treatment processes by modern instru-
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